The "British Disease" Has Few Fans Over Here in Europe

While the PAS may smugly promote the view that it is part of a heritage protection system far superior to anything anywhere else in the world (sic), over here on the Continent we see the feeble resistance of these islanders to the unmitigated removal of a substantial part of the archaeological heritage for entertainment and profit somewhat differently and look askance at the attempts of anglophone collectors to force their way of doing things on the rest of us.

We see a little of the contempt for those affected by the "British Disease" for example by an opinion voiced in a post yesterday on the HAPPAH forum (Décision inadmissible de la Commission Européenne): Suite à un lobbying forcené, la Commission a décidé que la restriction d'utilisation et de circulation (les deux sont bien stipulés) de détecteur de métaux étaient une entrave à la libre circulation des marchandises, on peut dire merci aux autorités anglaises qui ont participé activement à cette décision inique. Whether or not that is the case (and you must admit, it sounds about right) it shows the depth of feeling raised by the constant pro-collecting propaganda from Britain's archaeologists which is detrimental to the efforts elsewhere to combat illicit excavation and trade.

What does the UK's PAS say about this? Artefact hunting and collecting in the EU - good or bad? (Don't hold your breath.)